Airship



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,116

H O. K. QUAST AIRSHIP Filed 27, 1926 eet J CRY-CZ dww 35% O. K. QUAST AIRSHIP Filed Ma 27, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N\ R M Q 9 ww Q mm m mm is Q Q .3

attorney Feb. 5, 1929.

O. K. QUAST AIRSHIP Filed May 27. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet gnvc'nfoz ZEZM/GQ Omit I 7 II I (I'll/Ill!!! lllllllllllllll Iv 0/70 *1, Quasi;

l V/k ness ea aa-cZMGZMM Z Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES OTTO KARL QUAST, OI SPOKANE, WASHINGTON;

.AIBSHIP.

Application filed Kay 27,

This invention appertains to air crafts and 1 the primary object of the invention is to provide an airship of a relatively large size for carrying a quantity of freight and passengers,

I the machine embodying the advantages of both lighter and heavier than air machines.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a novel air ship embodying longitudinally extending air channels formed in the opposite sides thereof with novel means arranged in said channels for facilitating the raising ofthe ship in a direct vertical landing and rising of such machine.

A further object of the invention is the pro-. vision of novel means tending to direct the air into said channelways, and novel means for arrangin the tractor propellers for also forcing the am into said channels.

A further object of the invention is the provision ofnovel paddle wheel elevator memhers arran ed in said channels of difierent types, so t at the different types. of wheels can take advantage of the varying air conditions in the ohannels,-the forward channels havin one type of wheel therein and the'intermediate portions of the channel having a second type of wheel therein.

A further object of the invention is the pro- 80 vision of novel side screw propellers for facilitating the steering of the shi and novel means for throwing the said si e propeller into and out of operation. A further obj ect of the invention is to pro- :15 vide a novel landing gear for the ship, which will be normally held in an inoperatwe position during flight, and which can be moved to an operative position, when the ship is being brought to a stop on a landing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel airship of the above charactor, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture' and one which can be placed upon the V market at a comparatively small cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described,

claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the novel airship,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same,

as .t igure 3 is a transverse section through plane thereby facilitating the 1926. Serial No. 112,112.-

the airship taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section through the airship taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the novel arrangement of paddle wheels,

Figure 5 is a vertical section through one of the guide arms forming a art of the novel paddle wheel illustrated 1n igure 4,

Figure 6 is a detail transverse section through the paddle wheel on the line 6 6 of Fi ure 5, an.

igure 7 is a detail transverse section through the forward end of the drive mechanism of the airship illustrating the novel means for connecting the side screw properlers with the main drive shaft.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates the improved airship, which comprises a body 10 that can be formed of any desired material, such as sheet metal ofthe desired gage. The body 10 is provided with a longitudinall extending horizontal partition 11 in space relation to the bottom wall 12 thereof which forms a main longitudinally extendin compartment 13 which extends substanti y the full length of the ship..- This compartment 13 forms the compartment for the passengers and freight and of course the same may be divided into rooms or the like, similar to an ordinary sea going vessel; The side walls 14 forming the compartment 13 may be rovided with suitable windows andthe like. Directl above the artition 11 is a pair of spaced longitudinal y extending channels 15 and 16 which are of a substantial cylindrical shape in cross section. These channels open 95 out through the opposite sides of the vessel asclearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. A longitudinally extending partition 17 connects the channels together and forms an extreme upper compartment 18 andan intermediate!!!) compartment 19. The intermediate com artment 19 forms means for receiving the rive mechanism, and the like, while the upper compartment 18 serves as means for receivin a lighter than air gas, such as helium or t e 106 like. The how of the ship is gradually tapered to define a front edge 20 to eliminate air pressure against the front of the ship. The channels 15 and. 16 open out through the front of the ship and it is to be noted that the no channels gradually flare outward as at 21 toward the edge 20 in order to form means for directing the air into the channel ways. This insures the proper density of the air in the channel ways so that the elevating means an ranged therein can operate upon the air pro erly,

xtending substantially the full length of the air ship in the engine room 19 is the main drive shaft 22. This drive shaft 22 is mounted in suitable bearings and is driven in any desired way from any preferred type of prime mover (not shown). The forward end of the drive shaft 22 protrudes through the bow of the ship and has secured thereto in any desired way a tractor propeller 23 of the screw type.

Arranged below the main drive shaft 22 and at the forward end of the ship is a countershaft 24 to which issecured a second tractor propeller 25 of the screw type. The propellers 23 and 25 operate substantially in unison and the shaft 24 is 0 erated directly from the shaft 22. It is to lie noted that the propeller 23 is arranged directly in front the converg-' ing ways 21 leading to the channels 15 and 16 whereby the propeller will tend to force air backward directly into said longitudinally extending channelways.

In order to facilitate the steering of the ship side propellers 26 and 27 of the screw type are provided and these propellers are keyed or otherwise secured to transversely as these extending'drive shafts 28 and 29. These shafts can be rotatably supported in any pre ferred way, such as by bearings 30 secured to upright supporting struts 31. The inner ends of the shafts 28 and 29 have feathered thereon slidable bevel gears 32 which are adapted to be moved into and out of meshing engagement with the drive bevel gear 33 keyed to thedrive shaft 22 by means of operating levers 34 and 35 which extend into the engine room. By operating the levers 34 and 35 either one of the propellers can be thrown into operation and it is obvious that of the ship, that when only one" of the propellers is in use thatthe nose of the ship will be swung around. This forms an important feature of the present invention, as it facilitates the ship answering the helm.

In accordance with this invention the lower ends of the longitudinally extendin channelways 15 and 16 are provided with depending arcuate guide lips 36 for a purpose, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

It is preferred to arrange a series of propellers 40 and 45 in the channelways 15 and 16 and it is to be noted that the propellers 40 are arranged at the forward ends of the channelways while the propellers 45 are arranged in rear of the propellers 40. The ropellers 40 embody a longitudinally exten ing hub sleeve 41 and air blades 42 which are wound spirally about the hub sleeve. The

propellers are located laterally moan-e hub sleeve41 is rotatably mounted upon a stationary supporting shaft 36 and if preferred the hub sleeve can be mounted, upon suitable bearings so as not to produce friction between the sleeve and the shaft. The propellers or wheels 40 are of such a shape as to have a driving action and owing to the helical formation of the blades the air is also driven backward through the channels.

The elevators 45 are of a different construction from the propellers 40 and are located directly in rear of the same as heretobefore described. Each of the elevators 45 includes a hub sleeve 46 having extending radially therefrom at diametrically opposite points the arcuate bars or guide arms 47. As shown these uide arms 47 are actuated in opposite directions for a purpose, which will'be hereinafter more fully described. These guide arms 47 are of a hollow'construction and support at equidistantly spaced points longitudinally extending shafts 48, the terminals'of which are rotatably mounted in the said arms. The arms also support slidable operating rods 49 which conform to the arcuate configuration of the guide arms 47 and these operating rods 49 have their inner faces provided with rack bars 50 which mesh with pinions 51 secured to the terminals of the shafts 48. The inner ends of the operating bars 49 have guide bases 52 formed thereon and expansion springs 53 normally engage the bases and the hub sleeve 46 for normall urging said operating rods outwardly. he outer ends of these rods protrude beyond the arms 47 and have rotatably mounted thereon anti-friction rollers 54, for a purpose, which will be hereinafter more specifically described. In order to facilitate the sliding of the operating rods within the arms 47, anti-friction rollers 55 are carried by the arms 47 and engage the outer face of said arms. In order to limit the outward sliding movement of the operating rods a stop pin 56 is arranged in the path of the guide base 52. The longitudinally extending shafts 48 which are rotatably supported by the arms 47 carry air engaging vanes 57 and when the sleeves 46 are operated in a counterclockwise direction, referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, the vanes supported by the outer arms 47 are arranged parallel to one another and in the same plane for operating upon the air while the vanes supported by the inner arms are arranged at right angles to the arms so as to not act upon the air and have a retarding effect on the rising of the airship. The inner ends of the hub sleeves 46 and 41 have secured thereto crank wheels 43 and 43 respectively and the crank wheels have connected thereto pitman rods 58. The inner ends of the pitman rods 58 are provided with cam straps which engage cams 59 on the drive shaft 22. By this construction it can be seen that the elevators or propellers 40 and 45 are operated from the drive shaft. In operation of the wheels 45 a roller 54 carried by the operating rods 49 will normally engage the outerfaces of the channelways 15 and 16 which will hold the operating rods inwardly against the tension of the springs 53. When the arms are in this position the vanes 57 will be arranged at right anglesto the arms and will not act against the air. In other words the vanes will be then in a. feathering position. As the roller 54 rides from out of engagement with the walls of the channelways 15 and 16 the springs 53 will force the operating rods outwardl and this outward movement of the rod will rock the shaft 48 due to the connection of the rack bars with the pinion and will turn the vanes in alinement with one another and with the arms 47 so as to act on the air and cause a lifting action. As the rollers approach the lower end of the channelways the same will engage the guide lip 36 and will be gradually forced inward during rocking of the shaft 48 and moving the vanes at right angles to the arms. This operation is continued. As clearl shown in Figure 4 of the ,drawings the hub sleeves 46 are provided with suitable bearings which are interposed between the sleeves and a supporting shaft 44 therefor.

The landin gear 75 on the airship ispreferably carrie by the lower chamber 13' and embodies a plurality oftransversely alined cylinders 76 the up er ends of which are connected by branch pipes 77 with a compressed air pipe 7 8 which can lead from any suitable source of supply. These cylinders 76 have reciprocably mounted therein pistons 7 8 which in turn support the piston rods 7 9 that extend out from the bottoms of the cylinders. The extreme lower ends of the piston rods 79 are provided with laterally extending axles 80 on which are rotatably mounted ground wheels 81 that can be built similar to ordinary landing wheels for aeroplanes. The bottom wall 12 of the compartment 13 is provided with openings 82, through which the wheels 81 are adapted to extend when the wheels are in their operative or landing position. Expansion springs 83 are coiled about the piston rods 7 9 and are confined between the pistons 78 and the lower wall of the cylinders 76. These springs normally hold the wheels in a raised osition but when it is desired to make a landing, air is allowed to flow under pressure in the upper ends of the cylinders, which will move the wheels to an operative or land ing osition and the air will also form a check for essening the shock of the landing'of the ship. As soon as the ship takes off from the landing, air pressure can be released from the cylinders and the springs will again raise the wheels to their raised position.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

w 1. An airship comprising a body, longitudinally extendin channelways formed in the body, means for collecting air in the channelways, longitudinally extending elevator propellers rotatably mounted in the channelways, and driving propellers carried by the ship forwardly of said channelways.

2. An airship comprising a longitudinally extending body having its nose gradually tapering to provide a leading edge, longitudinally extending channelways formed in the opposite side thereof, the forward ends of the channelways gradually increasing in diameter toward said leading edge, a driving propeller carried by the leading edge and arranged in advance of said channelways, and lifting propellers rotatably mounted in the channelways.

3. An airship comprising'a longitudinally extending body having its nose gradually decreasing in width to provide a leading edge, spaced longitudinally extending channelways substantially cylindrical in form opening out to the atmosphere arranged in the opposite sides of the body, propellers of different types rotatably mounted in the channelways, one behind the other certain of the propellers being elevators, and driving propellers carried by said body. V

4. An airship comprising a body having longitudinally extending channelways said edge arranged in front of the air channelways, a combined lifting and driving propeller mounted in each channelways adjacent to the forward end thereof including a hub sleeve extending axially of the channelways and spirally arranged blades, lifting propellers arranged in the channelways in rear of the first mentioned lifting and driving propellers including hub sleeves and laterally extending arcuate arms, equidistantly spaced shafts rockably carried by said arms, vanes secured to the shafts, and means for rocking the shafts for arranging the vanes parallel with the arms in air acting positions upon downward stroke of the arms and at right angles to the arms in air feathering positions upon the upward thrusts of the arms.

5. In an airship, a channel, an elevatin propeller therein comprising a rotatable hu sleeve, outwardly extending arms carried by the oppositesides of the hub sleeve of arcuate shape and bowed in opposite directions, the

arms being of a hollow configuration, rack bars slidablymounted therein, springs norbars, and guide rollers carried by the outer ends of the bars for forcing the bars inward upon the striking of the Walls of the channel.

6. An airship comprising a body, partitions within the body dividing the same intb a lighter than air gas receiving compartment, an intermediate engine receiving compartment and a lower passenger and freight receiving compartment, a longitudinally extendin drive shaft arranged in the entrance of the ody extending forwardly of the bow of the ship, a drive propeller carried by said shaft, an elevator propeller carried by the side of the body and driven from said drive shaft, laterally extending propellers carried by the opposite sides of the body, clutch means for operatively connecting the lateral propellers independently of one another to the drive shaft.

7. An airship comprising a body, elevator propellers carried by the sides of the body and extendinglongitudinally thereof, a driving screw propeller carried by the bow of the body, and driving screw propellers extending laterally from the opposite sides of the body and arranged in advance of and close to the front ends of the elevator ropellers.

In testimony whereof I a it my signature.

OTTO KARL QUAST. 

